


Low Lights

by NeverComingHome



Category: Firefly, Serenity (2005)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 12:54:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3291056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverComingHome/pseuds/NeverComingHome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not really him and it doesn't really make everything okay, but she wants it to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Low Lights

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for movie

The Ballard device has Alliance written all over it and Mal says next stop it’s going and aint nobody to touch it, _hear?_ Zoe’s eyes flick over it briefly before giving a curt nod to the rest of them in general approval of his words, but as they disperse she sends one more glance in its direction.

~*~  
“You take up too much space on this gorram bed.”

Zoe keeps three different weapons strapped beneath her cot capable of severing vital limbs from a person’s person, but the voice and outline atop her warrant a good old fashioned knife to the throat. She remembers this Wash; he’d been taking a million and one photos for his lady back home while they were stuck on some outer world planet with no work, all while Zoe was off with Mal settling scores and making new ones as if that wasn’t the reason they were stuck on some outer world planet with no work. So, in addition to being a reality augmented projection of her husband on another’s body it isn’t even an up to date reality augmented projection of her husband.

“Why don't you tell me who I have the courtesy of delivering all bloodied up and pretty to Mal?”

“You sure have gotten mean, wife.”

“Kicked in not long after you died.” 

“Zoe.” He touches her cheek and it's warm and real, but she made a deal with herself to not let anything but the drain catch her tears over him and she’s been taking plenty of showers because of it. She scrubs herself raw and tries not to picture his face pressed against the glass like the big kid he is…was.

“Mal says you been pretty reckless out there.”

“Inara?”

He works the knife from her hand with ease now, kisses the palm that held it and lets it touch his chin before pressing a thumb in a hard line down the front of his throat, fanning out to grip his shoulders.

“We need you here.”

“If you’re Jayne I’ll steer us straight into a black hole.”

He kisses her forehead. “I need you here.”

“I'm not the one who left in the first place.”

He looks at her and it’s not her husband, but it’s his look. He’s always been able to stare just far enough through her so she knows he really sees her. She’d be going on about the latest threat upon their livelihoods and right when she was about to shout at him for his input he’d give it. It was almost as if he’d never expected to end up with any other type of woman, she’d stumbled over him while running full speed towards a hero’s retirement, but he was born to take up the chase. 

He waits for her to kiss him and that’s not Wash at all, but once she does he puts his hands on either side of her head, trapping her in a box consisting only of his smiling face before he kisses her again. She wraps her legs around him and tries to anchor him tight against her, but he holds his ground so she rises a little instead. She can feel his muscles tighten and that’s enough to make her need the rest of him. When they’re both down to skin and the sheets she kisses him and doesn’t care that his mouth tastes different because his laugh is still the same when she puts a hand between his legs and asks if all the parts work.

“You insult me.”

“Thinkin’ that deserves some punishment?” There’s a pause in their movements and Zoe wonders if they’re thinking ‘What would he say?’ before deciding she’s sick of wondering anything. “Go on and teach me a lesson, husband.”

“It’s not a punishment if you like it.”

“I have the utmost faith in you.”

She knows the exact moment she figures out who it is. She’s straddling his waist with no intentions of moving because they’ve been at it for hours and she’s sure if he lets go of her she’ll fall flat onto her back and into her dreams and she’s not ready for that yet. He’s chuckling softly like he always does when he can still go again and she’s had enough to last a few days over, all the cause in the world to be the cockiest bastard to ever live and yet instead of a lazy growl of endearment she’s greeted with an awed whisper. 

“Gosh, if the ‘verse were a woman.”

~*~  
When it turns out there’s a healthy reward for the intact delivery of the only Ballard in existence they celebrate in the closest tavern with the usual Serenity crew results of lost dignity and bar fights. Fresh from a scrap, Mal falls on the table the better part of his crew are seated at.

“Good game?” Inara smirks.

“Call it a tie gentlemen!” With a groan he lifts his back from the table only to frown at Kaylee who is attempting to flick coins into a mug on the opposite stool. “Get into something of a fight yourself?”

“Sir?”

“Don’t look like no bruises I ever...,” he squints at her, “someone been biting on you, girl?”

Inara’s eyes widen as Zoe grabs his wrist and yanks him onto his feet.

“What do you say we renegotiate that tie?”


End file.
